Potassium Sorbate

Potassium sorbate is a food grade preservative generally regarded as safe (GRAS) worldwide. It is the inactive salt of sorbic acid. It readily dissolves in water where it converts to sorbic acid, its active form, at a low pH. Sorbic acid is very pH dependent. While it shows some activity up to pH 6 (about 6%), it is most active at pH 4.4 (70%). At pH 5.0 it is 37% active. As sorbic acid, it is considered to be active against mold, fair against yeast and poor against most bacteria. Sorbic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid and as such is subject to oxidation (use of an antioxidant like Mixed Tocopherols T50 is recommended). It is also sensitive to UV light and may turn yellow in solution. Gluconolactone is reported to stabilize potassium sorbate against discoloration and darkening in aqueous solutions and may be useful in stabilizing sorbic acid in the water phase of a product.

While sorbic acid is naturally occurring in some fruits (like the berries of the mountain ash), virtually all of the world's production of sorbic acid, from which potassium sorbate is derived, is manufactured synthetically, and is a nature-identical compound chemically equivalent to the molecule found in nature. It is a widely used preservative in food production, but cannot be considered "natural" (no matter what you've heard!).

Sorbic acid can cause contact dermatitis at concentrations above or below 0.5%. Studies show that if it is used at a concentration of no more than 0.2% it is unlikely to constitute a safety hazard.

Potassium sorbate is not a broad spectrum preservative for cosmetic use and should be combined with other preservatives. If potassium sorbate is used as a preservative, the pH of the finished product may need to be reduced for potassium sorbate to be effective. This is because potassium sorbate is the inactive salt form of sorbic acid. To be useful, the pH of the formulation must be low enough to release the free acid for useful activity.

Following is a chart to of the relative activity at various pH:

Activity of Sorbic Acid

pH

% Active Sorbic Acid

3

98

4

85

5

37

6

5.5

7

0

All cosmetic products should undergo microbial testing to ensure the efficacy of any preservative system.

At temperatures above 60°C (140°F), potassium sorbate can begin to sublime. Add to the water phase of formulations at a temperature below 60°C (140°F). If adding it after oil and water phases have been combined, predissolving the required potassium sorbate in a portion of the water phase will make it easier to incorporate into the formed emulsion.

PLEASE NOTE: While our Potassium Sorbate is a food grade product, it is repackaged as a cosmetic raw material and is for external use only! Do not purchase this for use in food processing!

Recommended Use Levels: 0.1% - 0.5% Appearance: White noodles (prills) Solubility: Soluble in water up to 58% Storage: Store in a cool dry place away from heat or light. INCI: Potassium Sorbate

California Prop 65 Statement: The following statement is made in order to comply with the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. This product is not known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Here you will find Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Technical Data Sheets. The files are in PDF format. To access a file, click on the relevant button or the file name. For your convenience, it will open up in a new browser window.

Please note: You must have Acrobat Reader to view the files listed here. If necessary, the Acrobat Reader link will directed you to a page where it can be downloaded.

Lotioncrafter formulas in which this ingredient appears are listed below. Formulas are used as a means to provide basic formulating information and guidance in the use of ingredients Lotioncrafter supplies. Formulations are provided in percentages, grams and ounces. Most create a batch size of 1000g (33 ounces). Because percentages are provided, they can be sized up or down with ease.

The files are in PDF format. To access a file, click on the relevant button or the file name. For your convenience, it will open up in a new browser window.

Please note: You must have Acrobat Reader to view the files listed here. If necessary, the Acrobat Reader link will directed you to a page where it can be downloaded.

By accessing this formulation you acknowledge that it is your responsibility to ensure formulation integrity and freedom to practice and that the information herein is provided with no warranties express or implied. Ensuring suitability and stability is your responsibility in every respect and should include doing appropriate formula stability and preservative efficacy testing as well as appropriate patent search and analysis.

08-02-2018While we have had to discontinue shipping consumer orders of low value to Australia, we are able to accept orders over $1000 AUD as Australia collects the tax on those orders. This applies to all business customers who are registered with the Australian government for tax collection purposes. Please contact us prior to ordering and we'll assist with establishing your account or reenabling a suspended account.

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